Apparatus for hydrotherapy



Aug. 24, 1937.

A. c. SOLLEY Filed Sept. 5, 1954 APPARATUS FOR HYDROTHERAPY INVENTOR A\pho Q$0He5 BY 59/ ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,091,167 APPARATUS FOR HYDROT'HERAPY Alpha 0. Solley, Jersey City, N. J., assignor of one-half to Joseph Hanchrow, New Rochelle,

Application September 5, 1934, Serial No. 742,708

14 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for hydrotherapy, and more particularly a whirlpool arm and leg bath.

- .The whirlpool arm and leg bath has proved treatment is effective, however, only by the use of large quantities of hot .water directed forcibly under high pressure against the part undergoing treatment. The prevalent practice is to supply hot and cold water through a special thermostatic mixer which attempts to maintain the 7 desired constant temperature, and from which the water is supplied to a, nozzle immersed in the bath or tank where it is ejected against the part undergoing treatment. The water overflows and drains near the top of the tank and is then discarded.

A primary object of my invention is to generally improve apparatus of this class. More particular objects of my invention are to avoid the large waste of water which takes place in the foregoing apparatus and to maintain a constant temperature, while using large quantities of water at high pressure; to make treatment possible even where no running water is available; to make possible the use of solutions; and to make the apparatus portable so that it may be moved to the patient. These and other objects are fulfilled generally by the use of a circulating system in which the liquid is drained from the tank and pumped at high pressure back into a water discharge nozzle in the tank.

It has been proposed to use a centrifugal pump immersed directly in the tank, but in accordance with further features and objects of my invention, the liquid is circulated by the use of a gear pump located externally of and preferably somewhat remote from the tank. I find that a gear pump may be effectively used for the circulation of a large quantity of water at a high pressure, say fifty pounds per square inch. This pressure is'unobtai-nable with a centrifugal pump, and experience indicates that the use of low pressure I circulation is not effective therapeutically.

Further objects of my invention are to facilitate filling and draining the tank so that it will not be necessary to move the same when filled with liquid, nor to provide a special plumbing system, the pump being utilizable to drain the tank at a higher elevation, for example into a sink;

to make possible electrical insulation of the entire apparatus so that treatment by hydro-therapy may, if desired, be combined with electrical therapy; and to improve the construction of the aerating water discharge nozzle.

To the accomplishment of, the foregoing and other objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the apparatusfor hydrotherapy and the parts thereof as well as their relation one to the other as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. The specificationis accompanied by a drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing apparatus embodying features of my invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section showing some of the details thereof. 15

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the apparatus comprises a bath or tank l2, a gear pump l4 located externally of tank I2 andpreferably somewhat removed therefrom, a motor I6 for driving pump I, a discharge nozzle system generally designated l8, and appropriate piping or hose connecting pump II with tank l2 and nozzle I! to form a circulating system. Specifically, I prefer to employ flexible rubber hose, one length 20 being connected between the bottom of tank l2 and the inlet of pump l4, and another length 22 being connected between the outlet of pump I4 and the upper end of the vertical water supply pipe 24 Tank I2 is filled, with liquid 26, ordinarily hot water, to any desired level depending upon the part of the body being treated. The temperature of the water may be regulated to exactly the desired temperature by simply suspending a suitable thermometer 28 in the liquid and adjusting the temperature to the desired amount by the addition of hot or cold water as may prove appropriate. The liquid may be circulated by pump l4 during the adjustment of temperature. I find from practical experience that the temperature of the water does not change appreciably during the treatment, the total change being a matter of only one or two degrees F. It is obvious that a solution, as of Epsom salt or an antiseptic solution, may be used to any desired concentration because the liquid is recirculated instead of being discarded.

Ipreferably provide a pipe or hose 30 in addition to the circulating system, which hose is tapped into the circulating system through an appropriate valve 32. In the present case, I show hose 30 connected at the outlet of pump l4, and valve 32 is adapted to direct the water discharged from the pump into either hose 2! or hose '0. With this construction, the tank the order of 50 pounds per square inch, a motor to drive said pump, a discharge nozzle in the tank provided with means to aerate liquid discharged therefrom, said nozzle being so designed as to cause forceful ejection of a stream of water therefrom, hose connecting thepump outlet to said nozzle and the pump inlet to the bottom of said tank, a valve at the pump outlet, a drain pipe connected to said valve, said valve being so arranged as to direct the water dischargedfrom the pump to either the nozzle or the drain pipe, and means electrically insulating the driving motor from the pump and insulating the pump and the tank from ground, wherebysaid tank may be safely employed as one electrode in electrical therapy.

4. Apparatus for hydro-therapy comprising a tank, a pump externally located with reference. to said tank, a motor to drive said pump, a discharge nozzle in the tank, hose connecting the pump outlet to said nozzle and the pump inlet to the bottom of said tank, a valve atthe pump outlet, and a drain pipe connected to said valve, saidvalve being so arranged-as to direct the water discharged from the pump to either the nozzle or the drain pipe said pump being a gear pump having fibre gears and designed to discharge a large quantity of water at a relatively high pressure of, say, 50 pounds per square inch, and means electrically insulating the driving motor from the pump and insulating the pump and the tank from ground, whereby said tank may be safely employed as one electrode in electrical therapy.

5. Apparatus for hydro-therapy comprising a tank, a horizontally directed discharge nozzle,

, said nozzle being so designed as to cause forceful ejection of a stream of water therefrom, a vertical supply pipe at the lower end of which said nozzle is mounted, a vertical air pipe arranged near said supply pipe and having its lower end surrounding the discharge nozzle, said supply and air pipes being longer than the height of the tank, a clamp mounted at one edge of said tank for holding said supply pipe, and means for tightening or loosening said clamp in order to permit adjustment of the height of the discharge nozzle within the tank. 6. Apparatus for hydro-therapy comprising a tank, a horizontally directed small-diameter dis charge nozzle, said nozzle being so designed as to cause forceful ejection of a stream of water therefrom, a vertical supply pipe at the lower end of which said nozzle is mounted, a vertical air pipe arranged near said supply pipe and having at its lower end a large -diameter nozzle surrounding the small-diameter discharge nozzle but projecting further than the same, said supply and air pipes being longer than the height of the tank, a clamp mounted at one edge of said tank for holding said supply pipe, and means for tightening or loosening said clamp in order topermit adjustment of the height of the discharge nozzle within the tank. a

7. A portable apparatus for hydro-therapy, comprising an open-topped portable tank of liquid, a high pressure pump, said pump being designed to develop a pressure of the order of 50 pounds per square inch, a motor to drive said pump, a discharge nozzle in the tank provided with means to aerate liquid discharged therefrom," said nozzle being so designed as to cause forceful ejection of a jet of liquid therefrom into the tank, means connecting the pump outlet to the nozzle, means connecting the pump inlet to the liquid in the tank, a valve controlling the liquid dischargedfrom the pump outlet, and a drain pipe for emptying the tank, said valve being so arranged as to direct the water discharged from the pump to either the jet or the drain pipe.

8. A portable, apparatus for hydro-therapy, comprising a portable open-topped tank of liquid, a high pressure pump, a motor to drive said pump, a discharge nozzle in said tank, said nozzle being so designed as to cause forceful ejection of a jet of liquid therefrom into the tank, means connecting the pump outlet to said nozzle and the pump inlet to'the liquid in the tank, a valve controlling the liquid discharged from the pump outlet, and

a drain pipe for emptying the tank, said valve being so arranged as to direct the liquid discharged from the pump to either the jet or the drain pipe, said pump being a gear pump adapted to discharge a large quantity of liquid at a relatively high pressure of the order of 50 pounds per square inch.

9. Apparatus for hydro-therapy, comprising a tank, a horizontally directed discharge nozzle in said tank, said nozzle being so designed as to cause forceful ejection of a stream of water therefrom, an upright support member at the lower end of which said nozzle is mounted, a vertical air pipe arranged near said support member and having its lower end open to the jet from the discharge nozzle, said support member and air pipe being of such length that the nozzle may be raised or lowered over a substantial distance between the top and bottom of the tank, holding means mounted at one edge of said tank for holding said support membenand releasable means for clamping" said holding means and the support member,

together in order to afford adjustment of the height of the discharge nozzle within the tank.

10. Apparatus for hydro-therapy, comprising a tank, a horizontally directed small-diameter disdiameter discharge nozzle but projecting further than the same, said support member and air pipe being of such length that the nozzle may be raised or lowered for a substantial distance in the tank, holding means mounted at one edge of said tank for holding said support member, and releasable means for clamping said holding means and the support member together in order to aiford adjustment of the height of the discharge nozzle within the tank.

11. A portable apparatus for hydro-therapy, comprising a portable tank of liquid, a high pressure pump, a motor to drive said pump, a horizontally directed small-diameter discharge nozzle in said tank, said nozzle being so designed as to cause forceful ejection of a jet of liquid therefrom into the tank, means connecting the pump outlet to said nozzle and means connecting the pump inlet sure pump, a motor to drive said pump, a horbeing of such length that the nozzle may be raised or lowered in the liquid in the tank, holding means mounted at one edge of said tank for holding said support member, and releasable means- 15 for clamping said holding means and the support member together in order to afford adjustment of the height of the discharge nozzle within the tank.

12. A portable apparatus for hydro-therapy, comprising a portable tank of liquid, a high presizontaliy directed small-diameter discharge nozzle in said tank, said nozzle being so designed as to cause i'orceiul ejection of a stream of liquid therefrom into the tank, means connecting the pump outlet to said nozzle and means connecting the pump inlet to the liquid in the tank, a valve for controlling the liquid discharged from the pump outlet, a drain pipe, said valve being so arranged as to direct the water discharged from the pump to either the jet of the drain pipe, an upright support member at the lower end of which said nozzle is mounted, means to aerate the liquiddischarged from said nozzle, said support member being of such length that the nozzle may be raised or lowered in the liquid in the tank, means mounted at one edge of said tank for releasably holding said support member, said means aflording adjustment of the height of the discharge nozzle within the tank.

13. A portable apparatus for hydro-therapy, comprising a portable tank of liquid, a high pressure pump, a motor to drive said pump, a horizontally directed small-diameter discharge nozzle in said tank, said nozzle being so designed as to cause forceful ejection oi a stream of liquid therefrom into the tank, means connecting the pump outlet to said nozzle and means connecting the pump inlet to'the liquid in the tank, a valve for so controlling the liquid discharged from the pump outlet as to send the same to the jet, or to a drain in order to empty the tank, an upright support member at the lower end 01 which said nozzle is mounted, an upright pipe arranged collateral to said support member and having its lower end communicating with the small-diarheter discharge name, said support member and pipe being of such length that the nozzle may be raised or lowered in the liquid in the tank, and means for releasably holding said support member and for aflording adjustment of the height of the discharge nozzle within the tank.

14. A portable apparatus for hydro-therapy, comprising a portable tank of liquid, a high pressure pump, a motor to drive said pump, a horizontally directed small-diameter discharge nozzle in said tank, said nozzle being so designed as to cause forceful ejection of a jet of liquid therefrom into the tank, means connecting the pump outlet to said nozzle and means connecting the pump inlet to the liquid in the tank, a valve for so controlling the liquid discharged from said pump outlet as to send the same either to the jet, or to a drain in order to empty the tank, an upright support member at the lower end of which said nozzle is mounted, means to aerate the liquid discharged through said nozzle, said support member being of such length that the nozzle may be raised or lowered in the liquid in the tank, and means at one edge of said tank for holding said support member and for aiiording adjustment of the height of the discharge nozzle within the tank.

ALPHA C. SOLLEY. 

